Pho @ Kim Anh’s Noodle House

Pho @ Kim Anh’s Noodle House

The passion held by many New Orleans diners for the Vietnamese beef and noodle soup called pho runs to illogical extremes. More than a few non-Vietnamese people eat it several times a week, and to hear them talk you’d think it was the rarest, most wonderful food on earth. We’re talking here about beef broth with noodles, sprouts, herbs, and various forms of beef–or other meats. Really, there’s not much to it. And then one encounters the version they make at this teeny café in Harahan–never a town known for its food. Kim Anh’s pho could hardly be better. The broth has a depth of flavor you don’t quite notice until you’re about a third of the way into it. It’s translucent and lacks the muddiness I find in many other phos around town. All the additives are of great quality and freshness. It’s as delicious on a hot summer day as on a freezing winter night.

Kim Anh’s Noodle House. Harahan: 6624 Jefferson Hwy. 504-739-9995.

This is among the 500 best dishes in New Orleans area restaurants. Click here for a list of the other 499.